Alumni of Noble Schools are resilient, thoughtful, and determined to reach their goals. While the pandemic has hit us all with struggles and hardships, our alumni have adapted and continued to push for their dreams and the health and safety of both themselves and their communities.

We asked some of our alumni to tell us about where they are now, how the pandemic has impacted their lives, and what advice they have for current students in light of what they learned during the pandemic and after graduation.

Read what they have to say below:

What did you do after graduating from high school?

I studied at the University of Michigan.

How has the pandemic affected you?

My mental health changed for me during the pandemic because I became extremely unmotivated and felt that any plans I had made for the future were ruined and no longer going to happen. It was hard to stay focused and remember my goals for being in college. At first, I felt that this change in my mentality was negative. However, I now realize that the pandemic taught me a lesson about being grateful for the PRESENT. Things can change in an instant. Plans that you had for months can fall through. It is important to learn how to cope and roll with the punches. This is a valuable experience for life.

So, I began appreciating the little things in life – walking my dog, eating dinner with my family, sunsets, baking, etc. The pandemic gave me an opportunity to slow down and reflect.

How did your Noble Schools’ education affect your experience?

Noble provided me with support and the opportunity to get externships and internships throughout undergrad. Because of this, I was able to expand my professional skills and network while being in a remote setting. This is powerful because networking is key to being able to get a job post-college graduation.

What advice do you have for current students?

Spend time with family. Make time for new and old hobbies. Use Noble Alumni services like book scholarships and the externship. Find community whether that be within Greek life, your neighborhood, the gym, or elsewhere.

What did you do after graduating from high school?

I’m going to school at Coe College and working.

How has the pandemic affected you?

I used to try to be a perfectionist. However, during the pandemic, I realized that being perfect was impossible. In the long run, I think this realization makes me better, and it has relieved a lot of stress. I thought everything was going to be over, but then my friends and peers helped me understand that it’s ok that I’m not a perfectionist.

How did your Noble Schools’ education affect your experience?

Noble became a big support system for me when the pandemic hit.

What advice do you have for current students?

Communication is everything and organization is a necessity.

What did you do after graduating from high school?

After graduating from Mansueto, I went on to start a bachelors’s program at Dominican University. I’m currently studying there.

How has the pandemic affected you?

Since the pandemic started, classes have been less interactive. I felt a lack of community and collaboration among classmates through online Zoom. I felt I was truly on my own.

This change was hard because, before the pandemic, I depended on socializing with classmates and a teacher face-to-face to help me succeed in my classes. However, I feel this negative change prompted me to become resilient by trying my best to succeed on my own and to adapt to communicating with professors and classmates through emails and exchanging social media. At the end of the day, it was up to me to find community and collaboration, even if it meant in a non-traditional way.

I had to dive in and do the best I could, no matter how the circumstances were. Even if it felt funny or I wasn’t used to this form of learning, I had to keep going because going to college and getting my degree is my end goal.

How did your Noble Schools’ education affect your experience?

I always feel that the values I learned during my high school years at Mansueto High School formed me into the student I am today. I still think about how I can collaborate, be resilient, be excellent, and be optimistic (CREO). CREO definitely helped me transition to college during the pandemic and is helping me succeed academically as well.

What advice do you have for current students?

The advice I would give to both students and families is to have hope and continue, no matter the struggle. Hoping for better days will help us get through whatever difficulty we are going through. And when you continue despite not knowing the end result, I guarantee your future self will thank you later. Don’t forget CREO!

What did you do after graduating from high school?

I started attending a paramedic EMT-B school.

How has the pandemic affected you?

A thing that changed for me during the pandemic was the way I approach safety in my everyday life. I see this as a positive change as it has kept myself and my family safe during the pandemic. Approaching COVID-19 with safety in mind has kept my older family members safe before the vaccine was made available. It made me extremely apprehensive about being out in public surrounded by people who didn’t take COVID-19 seriously, especially in the early days of the pandemic where nobody had any antibodies to protect them from the permanent damage that many people now have to deal with.

How did your Noble Schools’ education affect your experience?

I’ve been trying to figure out life after shaking a mindset I learned at Noble that college is the “only” way to make a living and still find happiness in the world around me. I’ve never been able to properly focus in a regular class setting, and I always felt something was wrong with me. Now, I’m in paramedic school pursuing something that is meaningful to me. I’m actually happy and excited to go to school everyday because this is a field of study where its practical applications give me a sense of purpose.

What advice do you have for current students?

College might not be for you, and THAT’S OKAY! Find something that makes you excited and curious. Don’t get trapped in the mindset that a college education is the only good education. There are so many other careers and jobs where a college education serves little purpose. It may be helpful, but sometimes getting into a trade is more beneficial because not everybody sees through the same glasses. Use your mind in a way where you feel comfortable. Find your own peace.

What did you do after graduating from high school?

After graduating from high school, I attended Kenyon College in Ohio and then Northeastern Illinois University for my master’s in Latin American Literatures and Cultures. I have been teaching since 2010 and am currently working on a doctorate at National Louis University.

How has the pandemic affected you?

One major thing that has changed for me due to the pandemic is working from home. I have been fortunate enough to be able to work and continue my education remotely. However, the pandemic affected some immediate and extended family members. For example, many had the fear of job security. As a family, we all decided that if one of us were to no longer afford our cost of living because of unemployment, we would help each other financially. Some great uncles and second cousins were hospitalized or died from COVID and our family members all pitched in to help with either funeral arrangements, transportation, food, or moral support.

I feel very blessed to have a support system that allows me to put my health and safety as a priority. I don’t think I would have been as lucky without a college education. My younger brother, who also graduated from Noble Street in 2014, attended and graduated from UIC and is also able to work remotely from home.

I handled this change very well because I already had all the tools that I needed to be able to work from home. There were only some minor adjustments with setting up an at-home office.

How did your Noble Schools’ education affect your experience?

Going to a Noble School impacted the way I handled these past two years during a pandemic because I would have probably not attended college if it was not for Noble.

What advice do you have for current students?

I advise Noble students to go to college and become lifelong learners. Invest in your education and don’t be afraid of student debt. I have been able to pay off all of my undergraduate student loans and make enough money to own my own home and have the things that I need. Today, I have a beautiful family of my own, and I can’t wait to see the next chapter of my life.

What did you do after graduating from high school?

After high school, I attended Spelman College in Atlanta, GA.While at Spelman, I participated in many on and off-campus organizations such as NAACP, SpelReads, and the West Atlanta Water Alliance. I also got to go to Lisbon, Portugal for a study abroad program.

How has the pandemic affected you?

The pandemic affected me because I was at school when it first started. While on spring break, we were told we had to evacuate the campus because of the pandemic. However, I have been able to spend more time with family members.

How did your Noble Schools’ education affect your experience?

My Noble Schools’ education helped me understand how to let my work speak for itself. While in high school, I tried my best to do well in my classes, despite how challenging the content is. This trait transcended college, and permeated to my professional life.

What advice do you have for current students?

Please do not get caught up with what people “think” you should do, and do what you want to do! Whether that be going to a college nobody thinks you should, getting a job/hobby that you’re really interested in, starting a business, etc. Only you know what’s best for you and what you want to do!

What did you do after graduating from high school?

I chose to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and I am still currently studying there.

How has the pandemic affected you?

One major thing that has changed for me would be time management. When all of our classes were switched to virtual learning, I began to struggle a lot with completing assignments before the day they were due.

This became a positive change, though, because I knew that I would have to change the way I studied, as well as find my best learning method while being online. I was tired of always being stressed, and I knew that it wasn’t because I didn’t have the time to complete the assignments. Instead, I wasn’t setting aside the needed amount of time throughout the week to take care of these assignments.

Transitioning to online meant that I had to find new ways that helped me keep track of assignments, quizzes, and exams. I would usually forget about assignments and have to do double the work on the same deadline. Now, I am more organized and I have all of my assignments and important deadlines color-coded on a huge calendar so that I know exactly what I need to do and when I need to start it. I now have plenty of time to attend classes, get my homework done, participate in university student organizations, volunteer at a local hospital, and be a part of a teaching team internship for a human nutrition course on campus.

How did your Noble Schools’ education affect your experience?

Noble Schools helped impact the way I handled these past two years, whether it was financially helping me pay for a summer class to help me lighten my course during the school year, or providing me with the skills I needed to find my own rhythm. I also know that I can always reach out to my alumni success coach, Kadeem, for recommendations or even advice throughout the school year.

What advice do you have for current students?

It is important to remember that your path does not have to reflect others. I was always worried that I wasn’t doing enough and comparing others’ accomplishments to mine. I am now happier without the negativity and doubt I was inflicting on myself. There’s always going to be room for improvement and self-growth, and there’s no deadline for life decisions.